This week's episode of 'Supernatural' marks a very special occasion for one of its stars, Jensen Ackles, the man behind badass demon hunter (and now, surprisingly adept family man) Dean Winchester.

After five years lighting up the screen alongside his co-star Jared Padalecki, episode 604 -- titled 'Weekend at Bobby's' -- will see Ackles step behind the camera for his directorial debut. (Check out our special look behind the scenes of the episode here.)

Ackles' turn behind the camera got us thinking about some of our other favorite TV stars who have recently hopped into the director's chair, so we've compiled a list of six awesome actors (aside from Ackles) who have taken the helm on their own shows in the past few years -- take a peek at our picks after the jump.

Who will win: This is an extremely tough category to handicap, mainly because pretty much everyone in the category -- except for Cryer, who should submit himself as a lead actor -- deserves the award. However, because of the Academy's tendency to keep giving the award to the same people year in and year out (this award should be called the John Larroquette Award for the number of times he won it when he was on 'Night Court'), I'm going to have to painfully say that Cryer still has a good shot of taking it this year, especially if the three 'Modern Family' actors split people's votes.

While nobody wants to see him go, of course, in practical terms we must consider the possibility of a 'Two and a Half Men' without Charlie Harper. While the show has been renewed through the next two seasons, Charlie Sheen has expressed interest in leaving; his contract is up this season. Even if it's just a negotiating ploy, CBS is probably considering how the show could continue without him.

Tiger Woods was immediately interested in doing the show after he'd heard how many different women Charlie has slept with, but he backed out when he found out it was all acting on the show. Luckily, the PGA welcomed him back with open arms mere moments before the entire sport collapsed.

Conan O'Brien was briefly considered, but NBC said no before they even heard what it was. When advised that he probably wouldn't be needed until next September, when the network's hold over O'Brien expires anyway, they relented. "At least," no one from NBC actually said, "...it would keep him the hell away from 11:30."

Hmm... interesting. If Charlie is well enough to move on to other things, then why isn't he well enough to complete his run on 'Two and a Half Men?' Yes, the mixed signals are as difficult to read as smoke signals.

On one hand, if Charlie Sheen is really so damaged by his personal issues -- domestic upheaval, overzealous partying, the pre-emptive entry into rehab, the sober coach on set to counsel him during his return -- how would he be ready to move on? And if he can't work anymore even with all the help he's getting from the network and the production company, not to mention cast and crew and producers, could he do better elsewhere?

The original plan was that Warner Brothers would deliver 24 episodes of the top-rated sitcom to CBS, a plus because the more they make, the more revenue is generated. That's not just this year, but syndication, as well.

Unfortunately, the reality is that Charlie Sheen's personal life and the fact that he was compelled to go into rehab has cost everyone involved a lot of money. Hell, as one of the highest paid actors on television, this action has cost Charlie Sheen almost $2 million in salary alone!

(S07E18) Welcome back, Charlie. I don't mean Charlie Sheen, who came back from rehab and was back at work on the set of the show. I'm talking about Charlie Harper, who has had his man berries crushed by Chelsea and the engagement and the prospect of a June wedding at the Bel Air hotel. For the first time in a long time, Charlie had his old spunky, devil-may-care attitude back. What a relief!

Generally speaking, what happens in the workplace usually is not meant for media consumption. Unless it's a Karen Silkwood situation, employees know that you don't blab about your fellow workers. Except in show business! Apparently, the very idea of working on a set or in the production offices where glamorous stars are toiling is a reason to yap about what you see.

(S07E17) Oh my my... have we seen the future of 'Two and a Half Men' and it's Alan and Charlie sitting on a couch vegetating, bickering and grateful to have each other to clean up their dribble? Maybe. And if you think Charlie's gotten over Chelsea, think again. Evelyn might want to hang on to the banquet hall at the Beverly Hills Hotel. More on that and the dancing Japanese Kabuki transsexuals after the jump.

(S07E16) Holy hoochey-mama! Looked like the old Charlie Harper was back by the time all was said and done. For a while there, it wasn't a certainty. Charlie had all the symptoms of a Woody Allen schlemiel as 'Two and a Half Men' ventured into territory that seemed out of kilter. It was like the Kubler-Ross five stages of grief. Fortunately, acceptance for Charlie was just a bender away. More on that and the $18,000, too, after the jump.

It's hard to see this as a precaution because for weeks now, Sheen's life has been spiraling out of control. The Aspen situation with wife Brooke Mueller, the felony charges and a relapse into substance abuse of some kind are all proof that, for now, Sheen is not able to continue with 'Two and a Half Men.'

According to The Wrap, shuttering 'Two and a Half Men' for some time could be a problem for CBS. The Monday night schedule hinges on 'Two and a Half Men,' and prolonged reruns when new episodes are airing all around the nine o'clock time slot could drag down the Nielsen numbers. Although considering how strong CBS remains on Monday, it would take more than some reruns to cripple CBS's comedy juggernaut.

There are implications beyond the obvious question of Charlie being there to do 'Two and a Half Men.' He's one of the highest paid actors on television -- approximately $20 million a season -- which accounts for a big chunk of the operating budget. Whether he's on air or written out for a while, he has to be paid.

(S07E14) Uh oh -- has Charlie made a critical error in his relationship with Chelsea? It depends on how to look at it, but the Humpster misplayed the situation in this episode and that "to be continued" at the end suggests that something wicked may be coming.

On the plus side, it looks like Alan won't be losing his man-cherry in the slammer, and Jake has a future in horror movie sound effects.

Alan has shown more talent on his man-dates with Herb than the Internet dates he's had. He was in rare form with the latest eHarmony hook-up, talking socks and sex. If he still had his ventriloquist's dummy, he would have pulled it out. But Alan did show us something we'd never seen from him before. The monster. Okay, it was just one lucky punch, but still...

When I read that there was a plot to kill Two and a Half Men's Jon Cryer, I thought it had to be a joke. Jon Cryer? Seriously, what could "Alan Harper" have done to piss somebody off so badly that they want him dead? Then I read the TMZ item again -- bearing in mind that it's TMZ -- and learned the FBI is investigating a threat on Jon Cryer's life. The FBI doesn't mess around. They're like the IRS, you know -- no sense of humor.

Apparently, Jon Cryer is involved in a very nasty custody dispute with his ex-wife. The situation is so intense that Cryer contacted the authorities because he believed someone was trying to kill him. The word "hitman" was used, and as bizarre as that sounds, people have been known to go to such extremes. Law enforcement took Jon's worries seriously and questioned his ex-wife about her involvement. Nobody has been arrested, but the FBI worked on the case for a week.